Doctors compete in dancing fundraiser

Thursday

Eight Cape doctors take to the dance floor to help cancer patients in a "Dancing With the Stars"-style gala fundraiser.

Emergency-medicine physician Dr. Sarah Todd never thought she’d be breaking up her workday with a foxtrot, and trying to perfect a wink and a five-star smile while she did it.

But as a contestant on “Dancing with the Docs Cape Cod,” the second annual dance competition to benefit Cape Wellness Collaborative, the Falmouth Hospital medical practitioner is doing just that on this recent Thursday at the Turning Point Dance Studio in Falmouth.

Side by side, Todd and her dance partner – David Troutman, co-owner of Scargo Café in Dennis – rehearse their routine again and again under the direction of their professional dance coach, Norah Dale Allen.

The goal is to not only refine each flirty step, but also every arm movement, facial expression, and tilt of the head, as they seem to practically float across the dance studio’s glossy, wooden floor.

“I love to dance,” Todd says. “To have fun while supporting an amazing organization has been pure joy.”

Cape Wellness works with local wellness professionals to provide free integrative therapies to help manage pain and stress for those facing cancer on Cape Cod and the Islands.

Besides Todd and Troutman, “Dancing with the Docs,” an event designed to simulate ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” will also feature seven other pairs of doctors and professional ballroom dancers. Among them: Dr. Suzanne Corrado, an internist in internal medicine at Falmouth Hospital, who will dance the West Coast swing with Doug McHugh; Dr. Nancy Schaefer, an emergency-medicine physician who works at Falmouth Hospital, dancing a waltz with Adam Spencer; Dr. Kumara Sidhartha, who works in internal medicine at Emerald Physicians in Cotuit, who will perform a salsa with Leah Calitri; Christopher Novak, a pharmacist care manager in Eastham, performing American swing with Naomi Turner; Dr. Clara Mesonero, a pathologist at Cape Cod Hospital, dancing a rumba with Jon Vazquez; and Dr. Jill Oxley, who practices oncology and breast-surgery oncology at Cape Cod Surgical Associates In. in Hyannis, dancing disco with Michele Colley.

The teams have been rehearsing for six months in order to take their places under the spotlights on Saturday.

And each couple is “ready to put on a show,” according to Rebecca Terkelsen, “Dancing with the Docs” committee member and a contestant herself, performing a tango with Dr. Kevin Vilsaint, an anesthesiologist at Cape Cod Anesthesia Association Inc. in Hyannis.

“Each dancer has been incredibly dedicated,” Terkelsen says. “From the costumes to the routines they’ve put together – each team is giving it their all.”

Tickets to the event at Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster sold out quickly, but just like “Dancing with the Stars,” audiences can watch live on video remotely. Community members can live-stream the event for a fee, Terkelsen says, and watch as each team competes for the 2018 “Medicine Ball” trophy.

“People can still get together with family and friends and cheer the couples on from home,” Terkelsen says. “They can also text in their votes for their favorite team as the show is happening.”

As votes tumble in from audience members and at-home viewers, teams will also be evaluated by a panel of judges. They are: London-born Christine Harvey, a professional ballroom dancer who has been dancing, competing and teaching for 45 years; celebrity impersonator Scott Townsend, who is also known as Thirsty Burlington; and Pat Kane, senior vice president of communications and business development at Cape Cod Healthcare, according to a press release.

Each judge will bring his or her own expertise, as well as a “bit of bite” to the table, and Terkelsen says the evening should be “filled with fun.”

“The judges may have different opinions, but the energy is positive and full of love,” she says. “No matter who wins, no one feels like a loser because we are dancing for an amazing cause.”

For Bruce Bierhans, chairman of Cape Wellness Collaborative’s board of directors, it’s that healthy competition and feeling of camaraderie that sets “Dancing with the Docs” apart from any other event on the Cape.

For example, the Barnstable attorney explains, the event raised $125,000 in 2017, which provided hundreds of local cancer patients with therapies like massage, acupuncture and yoga.

“We managed to exceed our expectations,” Bierhans says. “This year, we hope to raise as much, if not more.”

Further, Bierhans notes, the nonprofit, which was founded by local musician Sarah Swain in 2014, has reached 315 Cape patients, distributing over $117,000 in direct support since its inception.

“This was really Sarah’s (Swain) dream and her vision,” Bierhans says. “And I think we’ve all been blown away – floored actually – by how many patients we’ve been able to help in such a short amount of time.”

As a doctor, Todd is used to dealing with life and death situations, and is aware of the plight many patients face when they are diagnosed with cancer.

Especially since her husband, Evan Weinstein, died from cancer in April.

With his memory in the forefront of her mind, she says she’s ready to step out on the main stage, and dance the night away – one foxtrot step at a time.

“This is emotional for me, but I’m going to focus on the good times I’ve had during this experience,” she says. “Even if it (the performance) isn’t perfect, I’ve found a way to be supportive and give back in an exciting way.”

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